- Fertile cross-pollinations of dembow, techno and experimental club music, informed by ancient agriculture.
- In Mesoamerica, an area that once encompassed Central America and Mexico prior to Spanish colonisation, milpa was a fixture of traditional agriculture. The term refers to a farming system in which essential crops such as corn, beans and squash, among others, are planted side-by-side rather than separately, allowing them to provide nutrients to one another. The structure is considered highly sustainable because it reduces pressure on soil and imitates diversity found in the wild. Milpa's symbiotic and self-sufficient qualities were the inspiration for DJ Fucci's latest EP, part of an ongoing series by the Mexican artist that explores pre-Hispanic culture writ large.
Each track on Milpa refers to a crop and, just like its namesake, the record features several building blocks of dance music that feed off and boost each other. Bouncy Latin percussion, deep sub-bass frequencies and dembow beats are all potent alone but when interlocked into complex polyrhythms by Fucci, their collective strength is impressive. One of the EP's shining traits is its tight production. Fucci doesn't waste a second on indulgent breakdowns or extra loops—each track is concise and primed for maximum dancefloor performance. That speaks to the efficiency of milpa agriculture. Sharing the same amount of light and water, milpa crops get the most out of every drop and sunbeam, making them more productive than monoculture farming.
Just as beans in a milpa plot benefit from climbing corn stalks, the dubstep wobbles of "Frijol" ("beans") become more intriguing and impactful when layered over swung drums, dramatic synth patterns and siren samples. On "Chile," a heavy techno cut built around a twerking bassline, earthy sounds balance out the heaving kicks. Plinks of water droplets and acid squelches that mimic a gathering of ribbiting frogs add dynamism to what otherwise would be a standard rave tune. The EP's closer, "Calabaza" [pumpkin], is the kind of thing you'd hear in a Nick León or INVT set. Its seductive dembow lurch, sensually powerful drums and melodic ambient in the background make for a high-intensity workout.
Fucci seems to be on an anthropological mission to create new music from Mesoamerica's indigenous heritage and so far, his results are educative and compelling. A nourishing source of sustenance for all hours of the night, Milpa highlights the harmonious nature of club music without the carbs.
Tracklist01. Frijol
02. Chile
03. Maíz
04. Calabaza